Friend, I get around. Like, a lot. I see it all (and fall in love with it all) at yarn shops, festivals, trunk shows, conventions…. If there’s yarn and/or knitting to be found, I’m likely to drop by. This gives me quite the insight about what knitters are loving (or looking for) at the moment. Here’s my list of current favorites (including some long-time faves and a few newbies). If you’re ready to add a little somethin-somethin to your knitting life, here are a few ideas.
Top 10 Things for Knitters (at the moment)
- Stitch markers from Pretty Warm Designs. These markers are lovely, very light weight, stay out of the way as you’re knitting, and just generally make me happy whenever I see them.
- The Rambler satchel from Fringe Supply Co. This bag is the newest offering in a line of great bags from Fringe, and I confess – I didn’t need a new bag. But I couldn’t resist getting in on the preorder. I’ve had this bag for all of two weeks and it’s already become a favorite. It fits several smaller project bags, all the notions you can handle, extra needles, notebooks, your wallet. Heck, it could double as a purse or travel bag. I love the extra pockets and super durable construction. This bag was made to last. I tend to be a bit hard on my bags because I travel so much, so this bag is perfect for the way I live. If you have room in your stash for just one more bag and can afford it, I highly recommend this one. It’s handmade in the U.S.A. by a woman-owned small business.
- Sweater drying rack. I found this simple gadget on Amazon (here’s a link if you’d like to check out the one I have), and it’s been a game changer for getting sweaters dry faster. I always start by blocking my sweaters on a flat mat and pinning them in place, but after about 24 hours, I often transfer my sweater to a drying rack to help increase air flow. It speeds up drying time significantly.
- Speaking of blocking sweaters, my running favorite for many years straight are the Knit Blockers Blocking Pins from Knitters’ Pride. If you don’t have these comb-style pins yet, you need them. They’ll take the misery out of the blocking experience. I own two sets and they are the ONLY thing I use for blocking. Period.
- Needle organizers are often my nemesis – probably because I’m always dashing from one thing to the next, and most organizers take a certain amount of time to both organize and use (time I often don’t have). When I learned about the needle organizers from Wonderfully Made, I realized I hadn’t yet tried an organizer quite like that one. Not only is it relatively quick to start using, I love that it hangs open so I can easily grab what I need (and quickly put away what I’ve finished with). It’s well constructed and made to last. And now I know how many size 3 circular needles I have… (a lot).
- You might already be familiar with INK Bags, but if you’re not, I had to include the Little Things notions pouches. Erika – the owner of INK Bags – is also my assistant, but that’s not why I’m recommending this notions pouch to you. I love the clear front, the extra little details and thoughtful construction. There’s something about this flat, slick little notions pouches that makes them extra easy to slip into a project bag. I have several of these Little Things pouches and love them.
- Remember those “hand stitched with love” tags from the good old days? Lucky for us, we have more elegant options available now. Here are a few of my recent favorites: personalized leather labels for knits (ships from Russia, so they take a while, but they’re quite nice), and these are quite darling, too. (I confess I haven’t ordered the cloth ones yet because I want to use up the leather ones first, but I think they’d be darling for gifts and their reviews are excellent.)
- Yarn bras from Urban Girl Yarns. I couldn’t help myself. I just barely ordered mine so I can’t report on how much I love it yet, but with a name like Yarn Bra, how could I not? Everyone needs a yarn bra.
- Wine glasses for knitters. Because, hello. How fun are these? (I have the “Three Sheeps to the Wind” glass – which was a gift from my friend Sarah. And I love it.)
- Last but definitely not least: An adjustable neck flashlight. It’s not glamorous, but we’ve all experienced knitting in poor lighting and it’s no fun. I’ve used my neck light to knit on a plane, at knit night, in a car and even when the power went out for a few hours at home. If you don’t already have one – I highly recommend keeping one in your knitting bag. Just in case.
